Thanksgiving at My House

This year Nick and I are hosting Thanksgiving for my family at our place. We still have about two weeks to plan and prep, but it's never too early to get and share some inspiration! (Including on Pinterest with some new ideas.)

I think this year, my house will look (and taste) like a mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's always hard for me to wait to put up Christmas decorations. I want to enjoy them as long as possible because they bring warmth and cheer to an otherwise cold and dismal season in Iowa.

It will possibly also taste a little like Christmas as we're ditching the typical turkey for a ham. This won't be the first time we've switched up a usually traditional menu, however. Last year for Christmas dinner my mom served family-agreed-upon burritos/tacos and sides. We had friends over and had such a great time; no one missed the turkey or the stuffing.

As for the rest of the menu, we're planning for the usual suspects: mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, my mom's yummy stuffing, bread, cranberry sauce, and savory sides like olives and pickles. Plus dessert. Then we'll enjoy the annual tradition of watching the Cowboys game, which will be even more exciting this year as they're playing the Eagles (aka, Nick's favorite team). There's nothing like a little rivalry to make the day more interesting!

While we gear up for the big day and its festivities, there's nothing better than sharing with friends. And for this post, I'm sharing my favorite biscuit recipe, which also easily converts into really amazing cinnamon rolls. They may just have to become a Thanksgiving breakfast tradition!

As always, if you have something to share, please leave it in the comments (even if it's just a link to your Thanksgiving Pinterest board, I would love to check it out)! What are your Thanksgiving traditions or favorite dishes you can't go without? Will you be cheering on the Cowboys or the Eagles?! :)

Old-Fashioned Baking Powder Biscuits

Makes 12-15 biscuits
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening or margarine
3/4 cup milk
Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut shortening into flour mixture until consistency is like course meal.
3. Add milk; stir with a fork just until a soft dough forms. Then turn dough on floured surface and knead gently 10 to 12 times until no longer sticky.
4. Roll or press dough into 1/2-inch thickness and cut with 2-inch floured cutter. Place dough rounds on ungreased cookie sheet 1/2 inches apart for soft sides or 1 inch apart for crusty sides.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.